Adjustable foot device



y 29, 1962 F. "G. STARK ADJUSTABLE FOOT DEVICE Filed June 10, 1960INVENTOR. FOREST 6. .SIZPK ATTORNEYS.

. 3,036,401 ADJUSTABLE F001 DEVICE Forest G. Stark, Jamestown, N.Y.,assignor to Art Metal, Incorporated, Jamestown, N.Y. Filed June 10,1960, Ser. No. 35,231 4 Claims. (Cl. 45139) This invention relates toadjustable foot members for furniture and more particularly to avertically adjustable foot member which is positively held at thedesired point of adjustment.

One object of the invention is to provide a vertically adjustable footmember for use at the bottom end of a leg for furniture which isadjustable in small increments and is positively held in desired pointof adjustment.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved adjustablefoot as aforesaid which will be main tained in proper alignment with thefurniture leg as would be desired in the case of a square foot beingused in conjunction with a square sectioned furniture leg.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable footas aforesaid which automatically aligns itself with its associated legin response to adjusting movement.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from thedetailed description hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a furniture leg showing theadjustable foot of the invention in use therewith;

FIG. 2 is a sec ional view taken on line II-II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of an element of the combination of FIG. 2;and

FIG. 5 corresponds to FIG. 3 but with one element of the structureremoved.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the new and improved adjustablefoot of the invention is illustrated as mounted in a table leg which issquare in section. A mounting plug 12 is dimensioned to complement theinternal shape of the leg 10 and is inserted in the bottom thereof to beheld in frictional engagement therewith. A peripheral flange 14 isprovided on the bottom end of the mounting plug and acts as a stop whenthe plug is inserted into the leg as shown. A central threaded bore 16extends from the bottom end of the plug into communication with a largerbore 18 which may extend throughout the rest of the length of the plug14. The plug 12 is slotted at its upper end as indicated at 26, 2t and22, 22, to hold therein a pair of leaf springs 21, 23.

A foot pad 24 is carried on the end of a threaded shaft 26 which isdesigned for threaded engagement in the bore is of the mounting plug 12.The foot pad is shown to be square in shape and of substantially thesame size as the cross-sectional size of the furniture leg. The threadedshaft 26 has an upward extending squared portion 28 which extendsthrough part of the area of the large bore 18 and the mounting plug 12and upward therebeyond. For reasons which will become apparent the flatwall sections of the squared portion 28 of shaft 26 are oriented at anangle of 45 degrees to the flat side wall surfaces of the foot pad 24.When the shaft 26 is threaded into the is a sectional view taken on lineIIIIII of 3,036,401 Patented May 29, 1962 ice mounting plug 12 thesquare portion 28 extends upwardly to pass through the bore 18 andbetween the leaf springs 21, 23 which are so relatively positioned as toforcefully bear against opposite sides of the portion 28 which extendsbetween them (FIG. 3). The pressure exerted by the springs 21, 23 issuch as to prevent easy turning of the shaft 26 but is light enough sothat it may be overridden by reasonable turning pressure applied to thebolt or shaft 26. Thus the shaft 26 may be rotated so as to move the pad24 up or down as required and the shaft 26 will automatically be held atthe desired position of adjustment by the pressure of the springs 21, 23against the squared portion 28.

As the respective retaining slots 20*, 20 and 22, 22 are orientingdiagonally of the furniture leg the relative orientation of the squaredportion 28 of the shaft 26 and the square foot portion 24 will result inthe food pad 24 always being held in alignment with the square sectionedtable leg thereby maintaining neatness of appearance such as would notbe had if the pad were not aligned with the leg.

The adjustable foot arrangement of the invention also provides apositive click up or down adjustment in small (one-quarter turn)increments which will be readily felt as well as being audible.

Thus it will be apparent that the adjustable foot of the inventionprovides its attendant advantages in a structure which is veryinexpensive to produce and with a combination of elements which will notbe subject to disarrangement or break down and, although only one formof the adjustable foot of the invention has been shown and described,certain changes and modifications may be made therein without departingfrom the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

What is claimed. is:

1. An adjustable foot device for use with hollow furniture legscomprising, a mounting plug for insertion into the bottom end of afurniture leg, said plug having an axial bore therethrough having atleast a portion thereof provided with threads, the upper end of saidplug being slotted on opposite sides of said bore, leaf spring meansmounted in said slotted end of said plug to extend across said bore, ashaft having a threaded portion and a squared portion, the threadedportion of said shaft being threaded into said threaded portion of saidmounting plug and the squared portion extending into contact with saidleaf spring means, and a foot member mounted on said shaft to lie belowsaid plug.

2. An adjustable foot device for use with hollow furniture legscomprising, a mounting plug for insertion into the bottom end of afurniture leg, said plug having an axial bore therethrough having atleast a portion thereof provided with threads, the upper end of saidplug being slotted on opposite sides of said bore, a pair of opposedleaf spring means mounted in the slotted end of said plug to extendacross said bore, a shaft having a threaded portion and a squaredportion, the threaded portion of said shaft being threaded into saidthreaded portion of said mounting plug and the squared portion extendingbetween said leaf spring means so as to be gripped thereby, and a footmember mounted on the lower end of said shaft to lie below said plug.

3. An adjustable foot device for use with hollow furniture legscomprising, a mounting plug for insertion into the bottom end of afurniture deg, said mounting plug having therein a threaded bore portionopening into a relatively larger bore portion at its upper end, theupper end of said plug being provided with slots on opposite sides ofsaid larger bore portion, leaf spring means mounted in said slots toextend across said larger bore portion, a shaft having a threadedportion and a squared portion, the threaded portion of said shaft beingthreaded into the complementarily threaded portion of said mounting plugand the squared portion extending into said larger bore portion andcontacting said leaf spring means, and a foot pad mounted on the lowerend of said shaft to lie below said plug.

4. An adjustable foot, device for use with hollow furniture legscomprising, a mounting plug having an axially extending threaded bore,an axial counterbore and diametrically opposed slots at that end of theplug onto which said counterbore opens, a shaft having a threadedportion of a length greater than the depth of said threaded bore in theplug and engaged therein, said shaft having a fiatted end portion and afoot portion at its opposite end, a pair of leaf springs having theiropposite ends received in said slots to extend across said counterboreand resiliently gripping against the flatted end portion of said shaft,said leaf springs being of a width to leave a gap therefrom to thebottom of said counterbore.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS545,776 Coleman Sept. 3, 1895 879,958 Gutridge et a1 Feb. 25, 19081,693,920 Hartman Dec. 4, 1928 2,557,200 Pujol June 19, 1951 2,890,545Fiddler June 16, 1959

